


The Connection Assignment

by Hillbilly_Leprechaun



Category: America's Got Talent RPF, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Youtube RPF
Genre: Child Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gang Violence, High School AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Near-Death Experience, Trigger Warnings, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, angsty, flamboyant Frankie, more celebrities than mentioned above, newbie Dan, quiet bad boy Phil, school fighting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2018-09-17 18:35:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9337778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hillbilly_Leprechaun/pseuds/Hillbilly_Leprechaun
Summary: Dan is starting a new school in a new country and gets settled with the school's quiet bad boy Phil for the yearlong project. He will soon learn not everything is what it seems.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have been watching a lot of Youtubers lately, most prominent AmazingPhil and danisnotonfire. This is new to me, creating something of this magnitude. The first part is only the prologue on Phil's background.

PROLOGUE (10 years ago)

A pale raven-haired six-year-old boy happily runs through the fields behind his close   
friend's house. A blonde five-year-old boy chases him with a water gun, raising it up   
when the other dives to the ground. The water is sprayed, but the raven-haired boy has   
quick enough reflexes to use a nearby flying disk on the ground as a shield as he rolls   
behind a rock � where another water pistol lays.

As the boys continue their game, a four-year-old brunette boy walks by on the sidewalks.   
He is holding his mother's hand when a splash of water hits him. At first, the boy freezes   
and looks up to his mum. It takes all but three seconds for her to nod and the brunette to   
join in on the fun. He is best friends with the raven-haired boy, and somewhat friends   
with the other.

+++++ 1 Year Later +++++  
(in August, a week before school starts)

The raven-haired boy is now seven; he will be eight this December, and is going into   
third grade. The blonde just had his birthday two days ago and turned seven as well. He is   
in second grade. The brunette is now five, having turned the age back in January. He is   
going into kindergarten. Again, the three are in their swimming trunks, playing some   
random made-up game. They are wearing bike helmets and racing around the front yard,   
having fun. The game also consists of a silver-painted soccer ball, hockey sticks, a   
whiffle bat, a few tennis balls, a trampoline and a Big Mack tire sitting up in the yard.

The brunette, PJ, is bouncing on the trampoline, warding off the tennis balls with the   
whiffle bat and guarding his goal from the soccer ball. The blonde, Frankie, is guarding   
his goal with a hockey stick and throwing the tennis balls toward PJ. The raven, Phil, is   
dodging the tennis balls to throw them back to Frankie, while trying to make his soccer   
ball go into one of their goals.

The soccer ball almost makes it when one of the tennis balls hits PJ's hand. He drops the   
bat and falls onto the bouncy mat, just as the soccer ball hits his head, bouncing against   
the trampoline and lying toward Phil's goal � the tire. He runs after it and catches it. But   
he is on the side of the road, where a large pickup truck is headed. Struck by fear, Phil   
stands there, cuddling the soccer ball. Frankie and PJ run next door to get help from the   
Mannings. Phil is later unconscious at the hospital � having only been saved by the quick   
timing, the helmet and the soccer ball against his chest.

Phil is in a coma for a couple months, waking up on the first day of November and being   
let out of the hospital (completing missed schoolwork each day to ensure his brain   
functioning) a week later. He attends school with the rest of his class for about a month   
until winter break. Over said break, instead of going on vacation, Phil's dad vets a   
homeless drifter teen to be his son's homeschool teacher.

During the second-to-last week of winter break, the drifter � named Pete � gets into a   
fight with his ex-girlfriend, and Phil runs away after being hit. His dad finds him at the   
park on the busier side of town a few hours later. He, Frankie and PJ help get Phil back   
into a sunshine state of mind by the time school starts again.

+++++ 2 Years Later +++++  
(October 30th, after school)

Nine, almost ten-year-old Phil is in Frankie's yard once again. PJ and Frankie's sister   
Ariana are seven. Ariana has just left her house to visit a neighbor for a tea party. Frankie   
is also nine, and he is It. He has counted to twenty and is searching for his friends. PJ is   
hiding in the hollow of a tree, while Phil is crouched behind a shrub in the fence line that   
had been installed over a year ago.

Out of nowhere, a clothed hand had covered Phil's mouth and nose. Chloroform. A set of   
strong arms had taken him away in broad daylight, easily locking him in a redesigned car   
seat in the backseat of a common sedan. A now eighteen-year-old homeless kid wants   
revenge for his girlfriend leaving him, as well as the man who sent him to juvie, only for   
him to be tried as an adult for many adolescent crimes.

Frankie never finds Phil and assumes he had gone home. However, the boy isn't at home.   
He isn't in the treehouse he and Frankie once built five years ago. He isn't at Elldiv Pilb   
Grammar School. The police are called and PJ shuts down. Phil is really PJ's only friend.   
They talk through Walkie Talkies almost every night. He suddenly gets very quiet and he   
gets isolated by the others.

After a year passes, Frankie has other friends. He has moved on. PJ is eight, going into   
third grade, and Frankie is about to skip a grade by the looks of his marks. The   
neighborhoods are growing. A new park opens up by Frankie's house, and the other one   
begins to dissolve. That side of town becomes a lot more dangerous. PJ remains at his   
house in the neighborhood across from the high school, next door to the Lesters. He   
spends a lot of time in the old tree house.

On September third the following year, a break had been made in the kidnapping. The   
man had been caught and locked away with a life sentence. Phil had been rescued.   
However, while in captivity, the tween had been tortured. He is eleven, almost twelve. .   
He had been tortured physically as well as psychologically, all the while keeping his   
brain busy with mind puzzles. Phil would be quizzed on these puzzles and for every   
wrong answer, he would get shocked, whipped or punished in some other horrible way.

He was sent for treatment and therapy, where he would solve worksheet problems and   
talk in a quiet voice. He wouldn't talk about his time in captivity, about his captor, or his   
feelings. He would only talk about the educational problems, and how he needed to do   
more so he wouldn't be a disappointment. His self-assurance and self-confidence had   
been completely shot. He never cracks a smile and violently twitches with a scream if   
someone tries to touch him.

By his birthday in December, he proves to be smart enough to continue on through the   
second half of seventh grade. He doesn't go to an actual school, though he is reinstated at   
his previous grammar school. He also proves to have picked up on some vulgar slurs   
from the man. These flood out of his mouth when he feels threatened or if he is berating   
himself at screwing up a worksheet problem.

+++++ Next School Year +++++

He starts high school at the age of thirteen. He and Frankie are assigned to several of the   
same classes, and the blonde decides to suddenly become Phil's friend again. Phil no   
longer screams at being touched. He is still prone to violent twitches from time to time,   
almost like a miniature seizure. He merely flinches at being touched unless he feels   
threatened. Then he is likely to punch, kick, claw and even bite his way out of contact.   
On the first day of school, in the hallways leading to the guidance counselor offices,   
Frankie decides it would be smart to back Phil into a small room and declare them to be   
friends again.

Phil takes this as a threat and unleashes himself on his once close friend. Several faculty   
members need to help detach the boys apart. Frankie walks away from this and into the   
nurse's station with a broken nose, a clawed shoulder and the beginning of a painful   
shiner. Phil hardly has a scratch on him, aside from a torn shirt and a small fist-shaped   
bruise forming on his chest. That night, Phil had picked up his Walkie and talked with PJ   
for a heavy ten minutes.

In November, it isn't uncommon for kids to stop wearing T-shirts and start wearing long-  
sleeved flannel. So, no one strikes it as suspicious when Phil does so. However, he also   
removes all colorful clothing options. The only thing he keeps is a stained, ripped T-shirt   
that reads 'Phil and PJ, Friends 4Ever.' That had been made when they were very young,   
with their dads' white shirts.

Phil's outfits have changed to being dark long-sleeved shirts that are tight at the cuffs so   
it is almost impossible to push them up. His long fringe covers one of his eyes, but he   
doesn't mind. He wears long pants with the same function. He keeps his grades floating   
at an A-B range, but he doesn't work hard at it. He has hit depression. His dad knows he   
is upset. The only smile Phil shows is a phony one when he is with his dad, attempting to   
mask his despair. His dad never asks though, so Phil never tells.

He talks to PJ, though. PJ is eleven and Phil is fourteen now. PJ doesn't really understand   
all that Phil has to say sometimes, but he never judges. He offers suggestions at times and   
assures Phil he will always be around. They don't really have any friends besides each   
other. Their walkie-talkies are always in their rooms and the tree house is their haven.   
One day over the break, they work on the tree house side-by-side because Phil had   
planned to cut himself and PJ had been there with another option.

Phil talks to PJ every day, even if it is only a ten-minute chat through the Walkies. He   
still hits his head against the wall and punches the doors to make him feel better about   
himself. He still curses at his classmates and threatens his teachers � but they understand   
his situation. When there is a substitute, he is immediately sent to the detention room. He   
doesn't mind. He actually likes it better.

In the middle of sophomore year, he had found the so-called bad kid seniors of the   
school. He didn't hang out with them, but he had traded them cheat sheets and secrets for   
a half-smoked cigarette or half-drunk beer. He was only fourteen, almost fifteen at the   
time. He had told PJ of these things, but the younger boy had kept his mouth shut. He   
hadn't even told his own parents.

+++++ 1 Year Later +++++  
(Halloween Night)

Phil is fifteen, dressed as a hobo, and PJ is thirteen, dressed as a pirate. Phil's dad is   
driving the boys out of the small part of town, past the dangerous part of town, and into   
another close-knit community where there is an annual no-judgment Halloween festival.   
The boys had gone the past two years in secret. They plan on doing this more and more.   
However, this year, they don't make it to the festival. They don't make it past the Under   
Twenty-One Club behind the bar and the drugstore in the dangerous part of town.

Their car had been mistaken for a close-resemblance of a gang leader's car. The car had   
been rammed, nearly completely off the road, and Phil's dad had ordered the boys to   
duck. They had crawled under the dashboard, holding onto one another out of fright.   
When his dad had righted the car, he had smiled down to his son in reassurance � which   
only lasts about five seconds. Suddenly the soft smile is wiped completely away as a shot   
had rung out. Glass had shattered and blood had been splattered.

The car had crashed and many dark-clothed people had ganged up. They had   
acknowledged they had got the wrong car and a few had insincerely apologized to the   
traumatized teenagers in the floorboard. PJ had passed out and Phil had been frozen.   
There are no tears and no sounds. Eventually, the teens had gotten out of the car, into the   
darkness. Phil had gotten PJ to help him push the car out of the dangerous side of town   
and toward the nearest police station.

The police had sent the boys to a hospital where they discovered they had gotten some   
bruised organs and fractured muscles, but they would be physically okay. They were then   
sent to a grouped therapy session, where it had only been the two of them. Phil hadn't   
said a word to the woman, having enough. His glares had said more than enough. Once   
home, PJ's family had been happy for their son's safety. Phil's mom, on the other hand,   
completely blamed her son for her husband's death.

Phil had shut down that night, silently cutting his wrists in the bathtub, watching the red   
swirls. He had stopped when he began to lose control of himself and the scars had been   
covered. A few months later, when Phil had turned sixteen, he found a girl named   
Pepper. She could sell him a fake ID. She also introduced him to a guy named Hank,   
who knows the ins and outs of the dark side of town. Phil had then gotten a tattoo so his   
mom couldn't ship him off to the military, and a job as a bartender. Along with this new   
job, Hank had also crafted up a cover story.

+++++ Now, Phil is about to be a sixteen-year-old senior +++++  
(And PJ is a fourteen-year-old freshman)

PJ knows all. He is the only person out of the loop who knows about Phil's real job. He   
knows Phil's tattoo is real and how he got it. PJ knows about Phil's drinking and where   
he hides the bottles. He knows about Phil's self-harming, though he is always there with   
other options. He knows about the drugs and cigarettes Phil keeps hidden, and is very   
happy that Phil has not become addicted to them. PJ is fully aware of Phil's anxiety and   
the attacks it can lead to. He knows how to control them as well as prevent them from   
occurring in a public place. PJ is Phil's true friend.


	2. First Interactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's first day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this!
> 
> Dan is meeting new classmates and possibly makes a few friends as well as a few enemies.
> 
> Don't know what else to write...

A brunette teenager moves in, with his brother and parents, to a new house in a new   
neighborhood in a new town (rather than a city) in a new state in a new country. They   
have lived a good majority of their lives in London. They used to live in a cramped   
apartment, but now they have moved into a crappy three-bedroom house that used to be   
for squatters, located in the dangerous side of town. The other squatter house still takes   
on its jobs and is next door. To the other side, there is an abandoned park. Everything is   
broken down aside from two creaky old swings.

Down the way from the squatter house is a tattoo and piercing shop, a drugstore and a   
heavy bar. Across the street from him is a large community center with a library,   
computer lab and a large pool. There are two trailers off to the side. While his younger   
brother Adrian unpacks his room (excited to have his own), the older boy, Dan, decides   
to cross the street and meet some new neighbors so he won't be too freaked out about   
school starting next week. He will be a sophomore.

Hesitantly, he crosses the street and makes a mental note to find how far away the school   
actually is. The community center is really large, but Dan is awkward and is afraid to go   
inside. He can hear some music playing, but it is more of a bubblegum pop. Contrary to   
popular belief on first glance, Dan is more of a punk artist. He is watching (not like a   
creeper) several neighbors messing around outside and playing in the pool. He has no   
idea where his swim trunks are, so Dan just shrugs it off and continues on his walk. It   
doesn't last too much though, as he crashes into someone wearing shorts and a whistle   
around his neck.

"You new?"

"Yeah, we just moved in." Dan rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"We?" The purple-blonde teen raises an eyebrow. "You've got a sister? Brother?"

"Younger brother." He nods. "Adrian."

"Ah." He purses his lips after a moment. "You go to Ebutuoy High?"

"I will next week. Sophomore."

"Freshman. Well, I just got off work and I need to get home. If you'll excuse me."

"Oh, sure."

As Dan lets the teen walk away, he comes to realize he has given away a lot of   
information about himself, but he knows nothing about the other minus his grade level.   
They don't even know each other's name. Dan shakes his head as the teen crosses the   
small field, toward a nature-like house. There are vines wrapped all around. He then   
starts in across the street. There is a huge wooded area. There aren't too many trees, and   
he can make out another neighborhood in the distance. 

Briefly, Dan wonders if he is even going in the right direction. It takes him nearly forty   
minutes to march through the woodland area and he takes a breather on a smooth-looking   
rock. He knows now he cannot walk to school here. In London in the nice weather, he   
could go through shortcuts and sometimes hop from rooftop to rooftop. In the winter, he   
would hail a cab. No cabs here. He will be riding public transportation. The inevitable   
yellow school bus. Just as he is getting relaxed, two kids approach him.

The girl is wearing baby blue contrasted with black lining. Her hair is in a messy pony   
and her eyes are concealed with baby blue rimmed, black-tinted shades. Her pants are   
black and baggy, and she is wearing boots. The boy has spiky hair and has on similar   
glasses, only with a red trim. He is wearing a black zipped jacket with red trimmed   
sleeves. He also has on baggy black pants and boots. They bounce-walk to Dan, so the   
teen can see they are also wearing multicolored bead jewelry and are carrying   
microphones in their hands.

"May I have your attention please?" The girl all but shouts.

"Um, I guess so, what" Dan is cut off by the boy rapping into his microphone.

"I'm not afraid."

"I am not afraid." The girl adds, rapping as well.

Dan steps off the rock and begins walking elsewhere. The kids follow him, continuing   
their rap. They bounce alongside him, the girl getting very close to him at points in the   
song. Dan starts to feel uncomfortable about these two kids, who look like they should be   
somewhere between second and fourth grade, following him around and rapping about   
what he should do.

"Radio won't even play my jam," The girl goes on.

"Cause I am, weak. If I wasn't,"

"Then why would I say I am?" They keep switching at each line.

He bypasses two condominiums and a regular-sized house. He passes by what seems to   
be a skate park and a pond off to the side. He sees a paved court for sports but doesn't   
pay much attention to it. He doesn't see a baseball diamond, so he isn't too interested. 

"Follow the emo kid as we go on another episode." The boy's phrase catches him off   
guard that time.

That is a very specific line. Finally, he arrives at the high school. The kids are still around   
him, still rapping, when he notices another teen around his age on school grounds.

"Hey, scram!" 

The teen makes a shooing motion aimed for the kids. They shrug and jog away in the   
same direction, as if it were a daily thing. The teen is a little older and taller and he looks   
over to Dan.

"You go here?"

"I'm about to start."

"Cool. I'm Benny Fine." He extends his hand. "Senior."

"Dan Howell." He takes it. "Sophomore."

"Those kids are gonna annoy you if you walk to school every day. That's MattyB and   
Baby Kaely. Think they're real stars. You testing how long it takes you to get to school?"

"Yeah." He nods. "How'd you know?"

"What I did when I moved here four years ago." He shrugs. "So, how long?"

"I lost track." A smiles sheepishly. "But over an hour I think."

"Long walk."

"Yeah, I'm gonna take the bus."

Benny nods and then starts to walk away. "See you in school."

Dan nods back and looks around. He really gazes at the school. It is pretty small   
compared to others. He's heard that each grade level has few students, so all students for   
each level is in the mandatory classes. He's already got a preview for his schedule, but   
there aren't any room numbers or teachers' names on the paper. All it says is

Period 1. Homeroom

Period 2. Geometry

Period 3. Vocabulary

Period 4. Lunch

Period 5. Geology

Period 6. Language

"Where do you live?" 

A girl's voice distracts him from his thoughts. He turns around to face a girl with long   
brunette hair standing next to a guy with Hobbit-like brown hair. The girl looks very   
excited, while the guy's facial expressions are impassive.

"I just moved in, over"

The other guy, finishing the statement, cuts off Dan.

"By the old park, right?"

"Yeah," Dan looks impressed and bewildered. "How did you"

"I know things." He shrugs. "Sometimes I might know you better than you know   
yourself, Dan."

"How'd you know my name?" He gapes.

"It's better if you don't question everything he knows." The girl advises. "I'm Rachel,   
but most people around here just call me by my initials: RCL. This is PJ."

"Cool. Do you two go here?"

"Starting next week." Rachel nods.

Before Dan can question any farther, a car pulls up. His mother sounds exasperated,   
calling him to the car. A blushed wave falls over Dan's face as he climbs into the car and   
is driven home. He is needed to help unpack the house and his mom is shocked (but not   
too much) that he had walked so far away. Dan wanders around a lot and isn't too good at   
sitting still or quiet unless he is given something tangible to focus on. He has no trouble   
making friends. Keeping them is the problem.

The week is over before it begins and it is seven am when Dan and Adrian wake up. The   
grammar school bus picks up Adrian almost immediately after waking up. The sixth   
grader has a bottle of orange juice, a change of clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth   
rinse and a pastry tosses into his backpack along with his school supplies as he rushes   
outside with a comb stuck in his bedhead, and one tennis shoe on with a bunny slipper on   
the other foot. Dan has a little extra time he supposes. 

He takes a quick shower and gets dressed. He is halfway through his cereal and orange   
juice when he hears the unmistakable screeching sound of the bus brakes. He grabs his   
backpack and runs out, catching the bus narrowly as it makes a transition towards a   
subdivision. Dan really doesn't know anybody and he doesn't see anyone familiar.   
Silently, he takes a seat in the middle of the bus but toward the front. For fifteen minutes,   
people pile in but take no notice of him, or they just ignore him. He notices a teen around   
his age clumsily climb onto the bus. He has a blonde side swoop similar to Dan's fringe   
and is wearing a red shirt with a backwards 'R'. Without warning, an arm grabs Dan's,   
dragging him across the bus section and into the swoop kid's seat.

"Tell me all about you."

"Uh, I'm Dan."

"I know that. I'm Lucas."

"Hi, Lucas." He mutters nervously. "Uh, I'm a sophomore."

"Freshman. What's your favorite animal? Mine is squirrels."

"I like llamas." He answers automatically.

"You can tell a lot about a person judging by their favorite animal. Ari's favorite animal   
is a cat, which fits. Cats have mood swings and are easily distracted. So is Ari."

"Who's Ari?"

"A girl in my class." Lucas shrugs. "Zach's in your class, though."

"What animal does he like?"

"Gators."

"Mmm."

The rest of the ride is pretty quiet. Lucas twists in his seat to talk to others, though there   
really isn't a lot of people on the bus. They get to school at eight, with thirty minutes to   
spare before classes begin. Lucas doesn't wait for Dan. He climbs over the seats like a   
little chimp and runs through the courtyard. Dan is one of the last students off the bus. He   
wanders around in the first hall he sees, noticing at the top that it is the science hallway.   
At the end, he meets a connected hallway � math. Before he treads down the math hall,   
he notices a door leading to a staircase. No one is around, so he creeps through the door.   
A black-haired girl with smudged lipstick separates from a Latin guy with spiked hair.

"Who the hell are you?" The guy speaks with a somewhat growl.

"Dan." He fumbles. "I'm new and I was just exploring." He tugs at his collar. "I'm hot."

"You're not that hot." The girl frowns at him and turns back to the other guy. "So, Ry."

The guy turns his attention back to the girl, lifting her on top of the heater. They resume   
mashing their faces together and Dan involuntarily gags. He runs up the stairs, wanting to   
get as far away as possible. To his right (above the math hall) is the English hall. To his   
left (above the science hall) is the language and art hall. He goes through the left hall and   
comes to a row of four different classes. They are three times the size of a normal   
classroom. The first to the left is home economics. Across the hall is cheer. Beside home   
economics is school-life careers. Dan shrugs at the prospect and continues on across the   
hall. There is craft shop.

At a window by the next staircase, Dan can see the school's auto shop, the baseball   
diamond and the track. There are also three separate buildings for choir and band, the   
cafeteria and the gymnasium. Dan shakes his head and goes downstairs to find the main   
lobby, the main office and the library. There is a sign for the detention room, located in   
the library. He begins walking again when a bell rings. A rush of students swim by,   
shoving him one way or another, and eventually, he finds himself in a very short hallway   
with only two rooms. They are both homerooms and they both have students ranging   
from freshmen to seniors. Cautiously, Dan picks one and stands at the front with the other   
students. A teacher comes by.

"Last Name?"

"Howell."

"Grade level?"

"Sophomore."

She clicks her tongue. "Wait here."

Dan surveys the classroom. Sure enough, there are twenty-two desks and chairs, but each   
desk has a partner desk. They are situated so the students will need to sit across from each   
other, and look to the side for the board and whatever lesson is planned. Dan overhears   
something about their teacher being a retired cop, and that unnerves him even farther. He   
glances around to the students. He doesn't see PJ or Rachel. Or Benny. He sees Lucas,   
though. The final bell rings and the teacher finally speaks.

"My name is Rebecca Snow. You can call me Ms. Snow or Rebecca. Not Becky. When I   
call your name, tell me what you like to be called and come to the desk I've pointed out.   
Understood?"

Everyone mutters his or her approval and understanding. She clicks her tongue again and   
starts on the back row. Three sets of chairs. She moves to the one in the farthest corner by   
the window.

"Rance, Zachary."

"Zach's cool, Rebecca." A teen wearing a blue gator shirt and a backwards-pink ball cap   
sits down.

She makes note of that and removes his cap before tapping the desk in front of him.   
"Grande, Franklin."

"Frankie." He smiles, taking his seat.

The teen has blonde hair with a baby pink tint. He is wearing a blue ball cap frontward,   
but the teacher takes it off as well. Ms. Snow moves upward rather than remaining in the   
back. She taps the seat beside Zach.

"Jeremy Sears."

"JP, Ms. Snow." A kid wearing a flower crown sits down.

She nods, hesitates before letting him keep wearing the crown, and taps the seat across   
from him.

"Charles Manning."

"M-M-M-M-Mars, Rebebbebecca."

She purses her lips and continues on. She taps the seat beside JP.

"Higa, Ryan."

The kid from the heater in the stairwell walks over and slumps onto the seat, not needing   
to correct the teacher.

"Wellens, Jesse."

An energetic teen rushes to his seat, giving the teacher a half-hug. "Thanks for the desk,   
Rebecca. Suits me just fine."

She nods amusedly and makes her way to the front, by her desk. She taps the one on the   
far side like she's been doing.

"Marbles, Jenna."

The girl in question saunters to her desk with a decorative thermos in her hand. The   
teacher takes the cup and places it on her desk.

"Like, hello? I was drinking that."

"You can resume after class."

"Pindell, Troy."

"It's just T, Rebecca. Single digit." A black boy bounces up, attacking the seat with his   
feet and leveling his gaze to the teacher.

"A digit is a number, T." She moves on to the desk just behind Jesse. "Put your feet on   
the ground. Guzman, Charles."

"Hey, everyone call me Dashie." Another boy jumps around her, landing on the desk.   
"You dig, Ms. Snow?"

"Feet on the floor." She replies instead. She moves across from him, tapping the desk.   
"Ballinger, Colleen."

"It's Miranda, Rebecca. Not Colleen. That sounds like a disease." The girl from the   
stairwell with Ryan takes her seat. "And I'm trying to distance myself from my awful   
family who wants to stick together and all that. So, I've got a new last name: Sings. My   
boyfriend says it's ironic. I'm sure that means I've got an iron voice. Y'know, solid?   
He's so good to me. So, yeah, Miranda Sings, not Colleen Ballinger, ugh."

"Okay, Miranda. Take your seat."

The woman looks winded. She shakes her head and moves onto the seat beside Dashie.   
She taps it. "Boedigheimer, Dane."

"Forget the two names. Just mesh 'em Rebecca."

"Mesh?"

"Daneboe." He shrugs, climbing into his seat.

She nods slightly and taps the seat across. "Sugg, Zo�."

"Oh, I go by Zoella, Ms. Snow."

"Okay." She smiles at the girl's politeness. She then moves to the middle back, beside   
Daneboe and behind Frankie. "Dawson, Shane."

A kid with bangs covering his eyes slides into his seat. He offers up a small smile in   
acknowledgement to the teacher, but promptly puts his backpack on the desk and lowers   
his head over it. The teacher comes across the table and taps it.

"Cru, Cruck, Crick," She stumbles through the name.

Luckily, the boy that goes with the name happily helps her out. "Lucas Cruikshank, Ms.   
Snow." He smiles brightly, sitting down across from Shane. "That's me."

"Thank you." She smiles as well. The woman look over to the clock before continuing.   
"Howell, Daniel."

"Um, I, uh, people call me Dan." He stumbles after realizing the teacher had called his   
name.

"Alright, Dan." She smiles.

He makes his way to the back of the room, behind the kid he rides to school with. Ms.   
Snow then gets to the next name on the list and the classroom starts speaking in hushed   
tones or completely stops talking for half a minute.

"Lester, Philip." She widens her eyes a little at the name. "Phil."

A pale boy with a similar fringe to Dan's, only to the other side and black, quietly takes   
his seat across from Dan, in the farthest corner of the room. He has a defining scowl   
running across his lips and he keeps his head lowered. When Ms. Snow starts going   
through the remaining six seats, and the classroom is at normal level again, Dan tries to   
instigate a conversation with Phil.

"I like your outfit. Y'know. All tight and stuff. I don't really wear that sorta stuff though.   
I mean I could but I just don't. No one buys it for me and I don't have a job. I just moved   
here. I'm from England. Well, London actually. Have you lived here all your"

He is cut off, not by a voice, but by a glare. There is so much hatred in Phil's icy blue   
eyes. It looks as if the boy behind the glare is forcing himself to restrain from possibly   
killing the teen across from him. Dan snaps his mouth shut and stares at his desk. From   
the corner of his eye, he notices Phil writing something in a black book, leaned off the   
desk and onto his lap. He then glances up to the teacher still giving out assigned seats for   
homeroom. She finishes by placing a girl named Jeana Smith just next to the door. She   
then gains everyone's attention by whistling at the front of the room.

"Now, I'm sure some of you may have noticed how you are set up. In each set of you,   
there is an upperclassman and an underclassman. This is your yearlong project. The   
person sitting across from you will be your partner every day of school that we work on   
this. There will be some out of school experience as part of the assignment. This is your   
main assignment of the year, so if you do not participate, you and your partner will fail   
this class. Seniors, you need to pass or you will not graduate. By the end of the year, you   
will be required to confess what you have learned about each other."

The bell rings as she finishes her little speech. Phil glances over to Dan, who is excited   
yet nervous. He drums his fingers against the desk, standing up as he does so.

"So, guess we're partners for the year."

"Fuck."

Phil's voice is deep and it catches Dan off guard. By the time he moves out of the class,   
Phil has disappeared. Dan shrugs it off and moves on to find his locker. 33. Just as he   
opens his locker, a body slams into him laughing. Dan can tell it is a phony laugh a mile   
away but he doesn't question it.

"So, you got Lester, huh?" The owner of the voice turns around.

Dan nods, grabbing two notebooks he had color-coded. "Yeah, is he okay?"

He shrugs. "Last year really set him off, but he's been like this for a while. I'm Chris."

"I'm"

"Dan, I know. We all know who you are." He grabs a notebook of his own, walking with   
Dan. "Small school, forty-four students total."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah. You evened us out. And I hear your brother evened out the grammar school."

"Huh. What class are you going to?" 

"Geometry. Same as you. Freshmen have algebra, juniors have trigonometry and seniors   
have calculus."

"All math classes?" Dan raises an eyebrow.

"Like I said, small school." Chris shrugs again. "First is homeroom for everyone. Two   
classes for that. Second is the four maths, then four Englishes, fourth is lunch for   
everyone. Fifth is the four sciences and sixth is what changes."

"Changes?"

"Yeah. Freshmen have art and technology; and sophomores have geography and history.   
The juniors and seniors have extracurricular. They choose between cheer, choir and band,   
shop, home economics and school-life jobs."

"What's that last one?" Dan asks, following Chris into a classroom without realizing it.

"You go help the teachers, janitors, lunch staff, just whoever in the school needs help,   
you go do it. And you get graded for that."

"Pretty cool."

"I guess. Here we are."

The seats are grouped in fours, with one group of three. Chris grabs the last seat in a   
group of four. Dan recognizes Mars, Ryan and Miranda. The other group of four is   
complete as well. He recognizes Marzia and T. The other two he overhears the names   
'Atwood' and Joe. Dan then grabs the only remaining seat in the group of three. He   
immediately recognizes Zach. The other nods to him. However, before he can get a word   
out, Ryan throws a paper wad at Dan's head.

"Hey, feel sorry for ya, man."

"Why?"

"Lester."

The other in the group's eyes widen. "You're the newbie stuck with Lester?"

"Yeah?"

"Sucks to be you man. I'm Rafi."

"Dan."

"You'll be lucky to last half a year, Dan."


	3. The Long Day Continueth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan continues meeting others. More enemies and pity than friends - and his opinions on the mysterious Phil Lester.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start off with The Whiskers Come From Within!
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMAZINGPHIL (LESTER, DUH)!!!!!!!!!!!!! SENPAI!!!!!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Also, watch for language, mild underage stuff and bullying.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read. Please review!

Geometry seems to stretch on for a while, and Dan only trips up ever so often. Rafi is  
okay with helping the other two in the group. Vocabulary is set up the same and they sit  
in the same places. It is just commonhouse knowledge. The vocabulary is a little different  
than British English, so Dan also has troubles with it. He becomes excited when lunch  
comes around, because he feels everywhere else he will screw up. Just as he reaches the  
lunch line, a teen with shaggy brown hair wearing glasses steps up.

"Lester's gonna destroy you."

"How is it getting around so fast that I've got Phil Lester as my year project partner?"  
Dan turns to halfway face him.

"Small school. Big rumor."

Dan shakes his head and ignores the other boy. He grabs a blue lunch tray and piles on a  
ham and cheese sandwich, a chocolate milk, a cup of fries and a cup of pudding. He pays  
for his lunch and could almost swear the lunch lady had given him a pitied look. He  
doesn't have time to think about it as he slinks toward a vending machine, debating on  
where to sit. Just as he decides to sit somewhere outside, he rounds the corner and comes  
up to a taller kid who is already growing facial hair. Their lunch trays ram against each  
other and the taller kid shoves them to Dan, spilling all over the sophomore's clothes.

"You don't belong here." He then gestures to the boy from behind in line. "C'mon,  
Link."

The other boy runs to catch up and Dan pouts. He has cheese, chocolate and an  
unrecognizable stain on his shirt. He feels embarrassed and wants to run to a restroom but  
he has no idea where one is. He just starts wandering aimlessly. When he is close to tears,  
a hand roughly reaches out and drags him into a faculty restroom. When the hand lets go,  
Dan is shocked to find Phil standing by the sinks.

"Clean up." He orders, tossing Dan a new shirt.

Dan glances at the size and is surprised. "It's my size."

Phil doesn't say anything else. He just leans against the wall and glares at Dan as the  
sophomore shyly takes off his dirtied shirt. He quickly but just as awkwardly replaces it  
with the new shirt.

"You're gonna miss lunch period." Dan tries to fill the void.

"I don't eat at school."

Once Dan changes clothes, Phil dunks the sophomore's old shirt in the toilet water and  
wrings it out. He tosses it to him and barges out of the room. Dan sees the dark teen join  
the teen Dan had met before school started. The freshman, PJ. After lunch ends, geology  
passes by quickly. In geography (since history starts next semester), the teacher informs  
them they will be starting tomorrow but if they want to sign up for anything after school,  
now is the time.

Dan walks out to the gymnasium building and looks around for what all is available.  
There is baseball, track, Beta club, book club, creative writing, and Student Council. His  
eyes are immediately drawn to baseball. Blake Morris, Jr has signed up for third  
baseman. Jesse Wellens and Tyler Oakley are signed up for second baseman. Dale  
Atwood is already signed up for Shortstop, but it doesn't stop Dan for signing up for the  
same. As he does so, a flash of pink catches his eye.

"Why're you here, Dingus?"

"Baseball signups?" Dan gestures toward the sheet, ignoring the name.

"Again, why're you here?"

"Leave him alone, Zach." The pink-tinted blonde from homeroom drapes himself over  
Zach's back, wrapping his arms around his neck. "He's the newbie with Lester  
'member?"

"Hmm, yeah. Alright. See ya at tryouts, Howell."

"See ya." Dan mumbles awkwardly.

A little later, the (three) buses arrive. Dan climbs onto his and notices Phil walking off  
campus with PJ. He doesn't think much of it and suddenly Lucas jumps into his seat.

"So, Dan. You're with Phil and I'm with Shane. For the longest, Shane was the Phil of  
the school. But he's just, stuff. But Phil, he's been through some shit. Oh, and you're on  
the baseball team? That's fun. There's only fifteen slots for the team. I have after school  
stuff too but not athletics. I'm not smart enough for Beta club. I don't read and I don't  
write. What am I in?"

"Err, Student Council?"

"Bingo!"

The rest of the ride home consists mostly of Lucas having a one-sided conversation with  
Dan, the latter making small comments in the gaps. He climbs off the bus at his house  
and, in no time, the bus drops Dan off as well. Just as he walks down the ditch to his  
house, a glamorous car pulls into the driveway.

"Hey, Dan."

"Frankie? How'd you know where I lived?"

"The whole school knows."

"Should've guessed." Dan sighs. "What's up?"

"Thought I'd visit the newcomers and offer a ride."

"A ride?"

"I can take you to school every morning if you'd like. I already do it for some others here  
and there. You'd still have to take the bus in the afternoon."

"That sounds good actually." He smiles. "What time would you be picking me up?"

"Really early. Like seven. You should ask Lucas if he wants a ride too."

"I don't know where he lives."

"The trailer across from the bar." Frankie points out. I have an SUV, this isn't my only  
baby. The SUV seats me, Ari, and eight others. Plus a trunk for our bags and shit. Here."  
He hands Dan his phone. "Put your number in it. I'll text you if I need to pick up  
someone else any days. If I won't make, be late, be early. Whatever."

"Alright. Thanks."

"No problem."  
:  
:  
The next day, Dan wakes up earlier than he is used to. A whole hour earlier. The rest of  
the family is still in bed, but he pushes himself to get ready on his own. He'd gone to visit  
Lucas yesterday before dark. The younger boy was already outside and had agreed  
excitedly, considering it a road trip. At seven am on the dot, Dan had just finished his  
breakfast and had come hobbling down to the front door to find Frankie waiting casually.  
He has a nice car and is sitting in the driver's seat. There is a girl slightly younger with  
auburn hair in the passenger's seat. No one else is in the car yet and Dan feels a rush of  
feeling special because of it. He smiles to Frankie and climbs in behind him.

"Dan, this is Ari, my sister. Ari, Dan."

"Hey, I like your shirt."

Dan looks down to remind himself what he is wearing. A black-and-gray shirt of a  
Pokeball suspended in mid-air. He smiles.

"Thanks. You play?"

She shrugs and puts in her earbuds. Frankie watches her do so and turns to face Dan in  
the rearview mirror. "Were you really just hitting on my sister in my car?"

Dan's face flushes. Before he can say anything back, they hear someone running up,  
hollering. It is Lucas. Dan has never been happier to see him, though they haven't really  
seen each other much to begin with. Lucas takes the seat beside Dan, who immediately  
engages him in random conversation. At some point, Dan feels as though they've passed  
the school. He sees the grade school and is about to question it when Frankie stops the car  
in someone's driveway.

Dan and Lucas take a break from talking. Dan looks out the window to see a familiar  
pink-hat boy with another gator shirt on. He figures the pink-haired driver and the pink-  
hat jock must be dating. The sophomore, Zach, hops into the SUV and stares at Dan a  
moment before sliding in the back.

"Glad you're on time, Boo." Frankie calls out with a smile. "Anyone joining us today?"

"Kendall, unfortunately."

"Of course. Didn't his car break down in June?"

"Or was it April?" Zach laughs bitterly. "You need to stop picking everyone up,  
Frankie."

"Don't tell me what to do, Zachhy. It's my week."

"No, no, Babe. Everything is chill."

"Better be." 

Frankie smiles and looks up to catch Zach's gaze in the rearview mirror. Dan is looking  
out the window. Frankie kisses Zach's reflection and Zach returns it as they pull into  
another driveway. Frankie steps out of the SUV and Zach quickly grabs Dan's shirt,  
pulling him back. He tosses Dan's backpack over and sits where the other boy previously  
was. Frankie returns with a boy Dan's already met: Chris. Must be Chris Kendall.  
Frankie notices the seat change and smiles when Chris takes a seat next to Dan in back,  
but he says nothing. The SUV picks up speed, but it still as they come around the corner  
facing the school. It is 7:50 and Dan quickly identifies a lone pale teen walking on the  
sidewalk, glaring at the car.

"Need a lift, Lester?" Frankie's tone sounds polite, but there s something else itching  
beneath the surface.

Phil doesn't look up. He raises his middle finger and keeps walking. Frankie sighs while  
Chris and Zach scoff at his behavior. They round past him and settle into the school's  
parking lot across the street. At school, everyone separates. It is like everyone has his or  
her own specific groups and are afraid of making any changes to that.

DANS POV:

What is it about Philip Lester? It's like I'm just drawn to him. Not in a mean way. Not  
like how some of the seniors are feeling about me. I just want to know what is going on  
behind those mysterious eyes of his. I'm sure Frankie and Zach are an item if this  
morning's ride tells me anything, but right now I don't care about them. I want to know  
all about Philip Lest-shit, shit shit!

OMNISCIENT:

Dan had been following Phil from a distance once he had located the older boy in a sea of  
students. He hadn't really been paying attention to what was directly in front of him, and  
he had run into a group of kids that basically run the school. Rhett, he met yesterday  
when the bully slapped his lunch tray away. Hanging off him is Jenna Marbles. She is the  
top bitch of the school and is glowering evilly at Dan as they back him into a corner.  
Daneboe is a strange one, ganging up as well with Tyler, who Frankie says is a junior  
despite how he looks. He is gardened off with no one to help him.

When Dan finally arrives to homeroom, his head is soaked, his pants are smoking and his  
stomach is killing him. He slumps onto the chair across from Phil, who momentarily  
looks up from his little black book to gaze over his partner before looking back down.

"Don't ride with Grande."

"What?"

Phil ignores him. He puts his book in his backpack and takes out a regular notebook with  
a pencil. He pulls out his headphones and starts listening to something at a low volume,  
but enough for him to slowly bob his head to the beat. The bell rings and Phil is already  
taking inevitable notes for the project. Dan listens intently.

DAN'S POV:

Wow, this is going to be an interesting project. I've never had one of these before. So,  
she wants us to find out, well she wants me to find out how Phil behaves on his high  
days, and his low days, and his overall. Wow, I'm really going to be around him a lot  
then. Should I arrange us to spend time after school maybe?

OMNISCIENT:

"So, Phil, are you busy after school?"

He glares back with slightly less murder in his eyes. He doesn't talk but he maintains eye  
contact as he reaches over to Dan's desk and sketches on it with his pen. 'No.'

"Want to come over to my place then? We can work on the project and play video  
games?"

Phil's eye contact breaks off and he pulls out his phone, texting someone. Dan assumes  
either Phil is done or he is asking his parents. Dan forces himself not to think about it and  
instead focuses on his next class. Math. A little before the bell rings, Phil gazes up and  
stares at Dan until their eyes meet. Dan flushes and Phil nods.

"Sit with us at lunch and I'll let you know."

A ton of words garble in Dan's mouth, and he hesitantly asks, "Where?"

The bell rings and Dan doesn't get an answer, though he's not sure if he ever would. Phil  
is gone amongst the sea of people and Dan heads on to his next class. Geometry and  
Vocabulary go over the basics and Dan is quite bored. When lunch comes, Dan grabs a  
bag of chips from the vending machine and actively waits for Phil. Instead of the tall pale  
boy, he notices the freshman he's seen with him several times. He runs after.

"PJ, right?"

The other boy nods. "You're staying with us for lunch."

It isn't a question, Dan notes. Still, he nods and follows PJ past the courtyard. They go  
past the parking lot, auto shop, baseball diamond and finally to a little storage shed that  
looks like it hasn't been used in ages. They walk inside to find Phil leaning against some  
old shelves with an unlit cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of half-drunk brandy in his  
hand. He glares over toward Dan, motioning he come over.

DAN'S POV:

Oh, God. What am I getting myself into? Drinking and smoking in an old shack. I mean,  
I've tasted beer before. Disgusting. And I once had a babysitter who let e have some of  
her mixed drinks, but I don't drink. And I definitely don't smoke. What is he asking  
here? Or is this all a trap? Am I getting killed?

"I'm not going to kill you." Phil almost growls, staring me down.

"Do you smoke?"

"Yeah, sure." I answer quickly, hoping not to disappoint them.

"That's not an honest answer." Phil shakes his head.

PJ shoves me a little closer to Phil. I shudder. "No, I don't smoke." I answer softly but  
confidently.

"Good." Phil nods. "We don't either. PJ, hand him a cancer stick."

PJ gives me a cigarette and silently instructs me to place it in my mouth. So, it's just for  
show. Neither of there are lit, it just seems to fit the mood, I suppose. But that is real  
brandy. I can smell it. Phil takes a gulp and hands it off to PJ, who doesn't drink as much.  
He then passes it along to me. I take it tentatively in my hand and take a quick swallow,  
almost choking on the taste. PJ smirks and Phil snatches the bottle away, replacing the  
cap. They stare at me.

"Walk to school," Phil finally speaks up after about ten minutes of uncomfortable silence.  
"Ride the bus, hitch a ride. But don't take rides with Frankie Fucking Grande."

I nod and the other two seem very relaxed suddenly. They slide down the wall and sit on  
the ground as the bell rings. I turn to leave but a pocketknife suddenly grazes past my  
head, sticking to a scrap piece of flypaper hanging loosely on the wall beside me. I jump  
back, horrified, to see PJ with his hand still in the air.

"You could've killed me!"

"True." He points out nonchalantly. "But I never miss. Where are you going?"

"Geology."

"Study of earth and junk. Study out here. The ground is geology." Phil explains.

"It's only my second day." I hate the whining wince I bring to the table.

He stares back at me with magnificent bright blue eyes. "Sit."


	4. Cliques and New Belongings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is my birthday, so to celebrate, I've written another chapter of this fiction - starting to get into a phan friendship.
> 
> There is implied abuse, so you're warned.

DAN'S POV

I don't know why I listened. I guess I was intimidated. By Phil. And PJ. That guy may be   
younger than us but he is incredibly protective over Phil. I don't have to smoke in that   
shack, so there's a plus. PJ warned me to toss away a lot of my bright clothes unless it   
was called for or something. We don't do anything but sit on the ground and drink from   
whatever bottle Phil has. Brandy, cognac, whisky the Friday Frankie turned sixteen. He   
was all "It's my birthday, bitches!" And he was parading around like he owned the   
school. He bullied me collectively, so I'm not even sure if he realized it.

Come Monday, a local college theatrical arts group came to our school. They held   
auditions for an amateur horror film they were shooting. I went and auditioned for the   
role of Taran, the nerdy delinquent. That's how I feel, since I've not even made a full day   
of classes yet. But I've never missed a homeroom. PJ auditioned too, so I'm sure Phil did.   
PJ auditioned for the role of Simon, the action adventurer.

This is Tuesday. Auditions are still coming in. Also, according to Benny Fine � the senior   
who hangs out with his brother in my grade, Rafi � the calculus teacher is missing. She   
was here yesterday. Now, not. I'm pretty sure math is the subject Phil is failing and   
suddenly his teacher disappears. Gotta say, I'm a little worried about that.

OMNISCIENT

School runs through pretty fast on Tuesday. Dan and Phil still don't talk to one another.   
Sometimes, PJ might say something to Dan. The sophomore no longer takes rides from   
Frankie. He rides the bus with Lucas, with a lame excuse of not wanting to get up so   
early. Dan still talks to Frankie at lunch when he isn't out in the shack with Phil and PJ.   
Wednesday and Thursday are mostly a blur � with the exception of the seniors receiving   
a mandatory calculus exam over the work they were supposed to be studying had their   
teacher actually show up.

About ninety percent of the seniors fail the test. Phil is finished and out of the room in   
record time. Seventeen minutes. The others stay back for the whole hour, going over   
everything with a fine-toothed comb. Friday seems like it is the monumental day for   
pathetic parental arguments when the students get home.

FRANKIE'S POV:

My mom's a little out there at times, and she forgets stuff really easily. But our dad   
doesn't care about us. He left us behind twelve years ago. He stopped visiting ten years   
ago. I love my mom but sometimes she wants too much or she forgets too easily. It is just   
after school. Ariana and I are waiting at the door for our weekly allowances. Ari gets hers   
and stand there, but Mom just kinda raises her eyebrow.

"What're you waiting for?"

I bite the inside of my cheek. "You forgot to give me allowance."

"You forgot to clean the garage."

My jaw drops. I just cleaned the garage on Wednesday. Right after school. She told me I   
had to so I could go to the arcade with Zach. Now suddenly I'm sure if I went in there   
it'd be all junked up again. She was probably in there looking for something, forgot about   
it and came back. Boom, trashed again.

"You can't be serious."

She purses her lips. "Oh, but I can. No garage equals no allowance, equals no party van."

"It's a carpool, Mom." I tell her, ready to explain that it is necessary for others who   
depend on me.

"Clean the garage and you can do your carpool." She replies. "Otherwise, take the bus."

I involuntarily shudder at the thought of taking the bus over my cars. Dan and Lucas   
haven't been wanting a ride for a while. I suppose the rest of us could just fit in my other   
car. I sigh as I take a look at my beautiful car before turning around to clean the garage   
once again.

DAN'S POV

Adrian is at a friend's house, so Dan is shopping with his mom while his dad is at work.   
In the aisle by the register, Dan comes across a gem-encrusted Pokeball and has to show   
his mom. She nods noncommittingly as Dan's is simply fascinated with it.

"Lookit! It's so beautiful!"

"And costs twenty-five dollars."

"So put back some groceries."

She puts on her stern face. "We need groceries, not diamond balls."

"Pokeball, mom. From Pokemon."

"Why is it sparkly?"

"Amine sparkles." He answers, looking down.

His mom shakes her head defiantly. "Anime is the reason you got expelled from your last   
school. So, no."

RHETT'S POV

I've gotten home and I'm about to go hang out with Felix at the old arcade. My dad, who   
barely ever shows interest in me, grabs my arm as I'm leaving the house.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, you incompetent son of mine? I should have   
you locked up!"

"You done?" I ask him incredulously.

"How the hell did you fail?" He barks, holding up my calculus test.

I made a sixty-five, which was pretty good considering. Third highest in the class. "No   
teacher for most of the week." I shrug. "Everyone else failed it too."

He lets me go after that. He mimics my shrug and tosses the paper in the trash bin. I don't   
really care. He goes off to the den or something and I grab my keys and walk out the   
door.

FELIX'S POV

It is six o'clock. I had one club this afternoon, and then I completed my homework. I   
went through all my chores and now I just want some relaxing time at the arcade with my   
friends. I grab my watch and fasten it. Fanny's upstairs in her room, I checked, and now   
I'm five feet away from the door, pulling my jacket on.

"No." I flinch, hearing my dad's voice from the other room.

He is looking at some blueprints, working on some mysterious puzzle for his job. Mom is   
by the fireplace. She is like the poster woman for perfect fifties moms. She always wears   
dresses and skirts, never pants. She is knitting something for the winter as she rocks by   
the fireplace.

"There's too much to do." He continues as I walk into the open area.

I take in a deep breath and go for it. "Mom, Dad, I've scrubbed the floors, my room is   
spotless. I'm going to make on A on the homework. I finished supper, my chores are   
done, and so can I just go out with my friends for a short while?"

Dad looks up at me blankly and goes back to his work. He has nothing to say on the   
matter, so it all leads up to Mom. She isn't knitting right now, so that's a good sign. She   
puts her needles on her lap and looks up to me expectantly.

"Do you have your watch?"

I let out a relieved sigh and holds up my watch with a grin. "I'll remember curfew, I   
promise!"

OMNISCIENT

The three-day weekend (due to Labor Day) lasts half a second. All too soon, the school is   
flooding with students again. All who auditioned last week for the local college horror   
movie is crowded in the lobby by the library. The cast list is posted.

CHARACTER �������������� CAST MEMBER

JASON ����������������.... RANCE, ZACH

BOSTON ���������������� CRUIKSHANK, LUCAS

COLT �����������������. KENDALL, CHRIS

TASHA ����������������... GRANDE, ARIANA

ORENTHAL ��������������.. GRANDE, FRANKIE

ONYX ���������������.�� GRACEFFA, JOEY

CORDON ���������������� DAWSON, SHANE

DIANE ����������������� BIGNOSIN, MARZIA

CORNELIUS�������������.�.. MCLAUGHLIN, RHETT

TARAN����������������� NEAL, LINK

EDWARD���������������� KJELLBERG, FELIX

JACKIE����������������� LEVIN, RACHEL

SIMON�����������������. LIGUORI, PJ

BRANDON��������������.�.. HOWELL, DAN

SEPTMEBER��������������� LESTER, PHIL

 

PJ is the first to see the list. Immediately, he is excited that not only is he in the film, but   
he is also the character he auditioned for. There isn't a lot to know about the movie. He   
knows it is an original amateur horror movie called "Extra Credit Counselors". The basis   
is several groups of high schoolers meet at an abandoned mental asylum for a weekend of   
fun before Monday comes and the hospital is turned into a camp which they've all agrees   
to help work at as a summer job. Before the weekend is over, a killer is on the prowl and   
not many will survive. 

The college students hadn't told any of them who would be killed or when. In fact, they   
don't even know the backstories of any characters, just their front-liners. For example, PJ   
knows he is playing Simon � an action adventurer younger than the rest. Less than thirty   
minutes later, Frankie and Zach show up. PJ is still hanging around the hallway when the   
duo read out their character roles.

"Orenthal?" Frankie pouts. "I auditioned for Boston."

"Hey, you got in, right?" Zach consoles, hanging an arm around Frankie's shoulders.

"That's true." He smiles, nuzzling into Zach's neck.

PJ is about to walk after them when he notices some more people crowd around the   
paper. He decides to find out their reactions. The people that crowd around are Rachel,   
Marzia and Jenna. Jenna looks mad at Marzia, who looks jealous of Rachel. PJ slides   
behind a row of lockers to watch this play out.

"How did you get the role of Diane? I'm supposed to be Diane and Ryan is supposed to   
be my Cordon! I didn't even get in the stupid movie!"

"I didn't even audition for a certain part, Jen! Not everything is about you! Apparently   
they like me and, uh, Shane Dawson together better!"

"Screw you!"

Marzia huffs, watching Jenna storm into the courtyard. She turns to Rachel. "So, who is   
Shane Dawson?"

Rachel shrugs. "What role did Felix get?"

"Edward." Marzia pouts a little. "What's he do again?"

"Edward is the lonely emo kid. Who gets to fill that role?" A familiar (to PJ, that is) boy   
walks down the hall, hands clasped in front of him.

"And you are?"

"Shane."

"Oh, God." Marzia gags a little. "I'm supposed to be making out with you? Through half   
a movie?"

"I take it we've been chosen as Diane and Cordon?" He smirks.

"Disgusting." Marzia twitches. "I'm a cheerleader. I should be kissing Felix!"

"Maybe we'll get killed off early." Shane shrugs, latching onto her arm. "How 'bout   
some practice?"

"Get off me, creep!"

Marzia shoves him off, and he crashes into a locker, laughing to himself. Marzia runs off,   
dragging Rachel behind her. Shane sighs contently but remains against the lockers. PJ   
stays in his hiding place and the two, as a shared mind, watch as another group rounds up   
to the board. This time it is Rhett, Link, Daneboe, Tyler and Chris. Daneboe and Tyler   
break away as the other three realize they will be in the movie.

"Alright! I got Colt! Whoo!"

"I'm fine with Taran. I think it suits me."

"Who was Cornelius again?" Rhett blinks.

"The nature specialist." Link reminds him. "It was the only part you auditioned for."

"I was half-baked, half-pint." He shoves Link away. "Whatever."

Shane walks off then as Ariana and Joey walk over. She is hanging all over his arm and   
he is happy about it obviously. Ariana also is excited about the role she will be playing.   
Joey gives her a hug, only slightly happy about his role, PJ notes. PJ is about to give up   
and just go to class. He had been waiting for Phil, but Dan catches his attention. He is   
walking down the hall with Lucas.

"Hey, look. They're posted."

"What, are grades?"

"No, Howell. No one cares about grades. This is the horror movie thing. Our roles are   
posted. And I got Boston."

"And look who you're supposedly in love with." Dan laughs.

"Zach? Oh, how the hell am I gonna?"

"That's acting for ya. I got Brandon. Not who I auditioned for but I'll take it."

"The misunderstood geek? Yeah, that's you."

"Whatever. We're gonna be late for class."

The two race down the hall, not noticing PJ still hiding in the shadows. He hears the first   
bell ring shortly after. The hallways clear and a door opens. At first, PJ crawls back into   
his hole. Then he recognizes who it actually is and walks over. Phil glances up to the   
board and reads his name.

"September. Great." He mutters.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I won't be here today, Peej."

"Lunch?"

"I won't be here today." Phil's voice gets even lower, quieter, sadder.

"Did they do something last night?"

"Leave it alone, PJ."

"Let me help, Phil. If they did something"

"What the hell would you do, Liguori? You don't break the damn rules." 

He shoves his friend away and runs down the hall. Out the door. PJ watches him go,   
cursing several people silently in his head as he decides to skip class in the auditorium   
today. He runs through the greenroom and climbs up to the catwalk to watch the other   
students. He hangs his feet off and sets his head on his arms against the small banister.

He remains there all day. No one notices him and he is thankful. Wednesday comes and   
goes, and PJ is back on that ledge. He hadn't seen Phil. They had talked only very briefly   
at night, through their walkie-talkie set. Thursday also comes and goes. PJ still hasn't   
seen Phil. He is back on the catwalk and is nearly caught this time. They still talk on the   
walkies. It is very short, but both boys need it. Friday morning, PJ is fidgeting just   
outside the library doors. He is grateful when Phil rounds the corner.

"Thank God."

"God has nothing to do with it." Phil mutters.

"I'm sorry I don't break the rules."

"Yeah, yeah." Phil waves him off. "I couldn't let them see me like that."

"I know." PJ lowers his head. "Here's your homework."

Phil lets out a bitter chuckle. "Where the hell'd you get this?"

"Zoe pretended to be your mom. Asked for it."

Phil shakes his head and leaves for homeroom. He notices Dan's staring when he sits   
down, but neither says a word throughout class. In second period geometry, Dan and   
Zach receive detentions for not having their homework. Dan left his at home and Zach   
was never home to do his. In third period literature, it is Phil and Frankie who do not   
have their homework. Phil gives the excuse that he had been too busy, while Frankie   
simply could not find his. Detentions. Finally, in Shane's last class of the day � shop � he   
had left his wood carving in his car.

Detention. The room is a lot smaller than any of the classrooms. The desks are separated   
instead of in pairs, and there are only eight total: four in front and four in back. The first   
four head to the back. Zach takes the seat by the window and Frankie zips beside him.   
Dan grabs the seat next to Frankie, and Phil trudges in beside him. Shane is last to walk   
in and slumps over the seat in front of Frankie. The teacher walks up to the door. She   
informs them that she will be just down the hall in the teacher's lounge. If she hears   
them, she will come back and stay for the remainder.

Soon as the door clicks, Zach jumps on the bookcase lined up against the window and   
Frankie almost practically jumps into his lap. He affectionately kisses the corner of   
Zach's mouth before simply lounging over him. Zach smiles and gently massages   
Frankie's back as they sit there and stare out the window. Dan smiles at the sight of 'true   
love' and looks over to Phil. He is writing in his black book again and Dan inches over to   
get a better look. Phil catches him, looks up and packs away the book.

"What do you want?"

Dan shrugs. "They seem busy."

"And I don't?"

He shrugs again. "That one's asleep."

Phil quirks an eyebrow. "Shane."

Dan smiles. "So you do know other people."

"I stay connected."

Dan then stands up and moves over to Phil's desk. Quickly, Phil climbs on top, having a   
very slight height advantage. Dan chuckles about the immaturity of the action and Phil   
gives him a rare smirk with his tongue prodding out. It lasts only a couple seconds and   
Dan shakes his head.

"You should smile more."

"If I had more to smile about, I would."

"You could smile about me." Dan offers awkwardly.

"You? What's so special about you?" Phil retorts grumpily, but it doesn't help that the   
same small smirk is back.

Dan smirks back with a blush. "Ah, so I am special."

"Mmm."

"For what it's worth, you're pretty damn special to me too."

"Ooh, Proper Howell curses." Phil jokes, showing a bit more teeth.

"I am not proper." Dan scoffs. "But it is nice to see you smile. Hey, do you wanna come   
over to my place sometime? Like today?"

"I have work today." Phil frowns.

"Tomorrow?" Dan asks hopefully.

"PJ's."

"Well, Sunday I have church. How's Monday for you?" Dan squints his eyes, sure Phil is   
just pulling excuses out of a hat.

"Okay."

"Well, how bout, wait. What?"

Phil lets out a small chuckle. "Yeah. I said okay. Monday after school."

"Cool. Um, do you want my number? Um, so I can help you get to my house?"

"You live by the abandoned park and the tattoo place." Phil states.

"Oh." Dan's face drops a little, trying to cover it with a soft smile. "Guess you do have   
connections."

"Mmm." Phil takes out his phone and sends a text.

Dan's phone chimes and he holds up a 'just-a-minute' finger. Phil shrugs, leaning back in   
his chair. Dan checks his message and can't help but be confused.

[Yes, Daniel. Maybe we could trade numbers. � Phil.]

"You already got my number? How?"

Phil taps his nose with a small smirk. Dan rolls his eyes.

"Connections?"

"You got it."


	5. Suspensions and Fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since updating. This semester has been hectic, but I hope this makes up for it. Please leave kudos and comments! 

The weekend comes and goes and soon Monday is here. It is a big day for two seniors   
and a sophomore. It is a big day for Phil because he will be ditching his cover job to hang   
out with a classmate other than PJ. A first for him in at least four years. It is a big day for   
Dan, because he is pulled out of his geometry class during second period to take a   
mathematics evaluation. He finishes algorithms and equations easily, only getting stuck   
on a few word problems. The faculty is impressed.

"Did you take those extra classes at your old school for fun?" One teacher, Miss Preston,   
asks.

DAN'S POV

No, I was just bullied so much at my old school. They kept sending me to the nurse's,   
which was next to the lost and found. Or I would fight back and would get in-school   
suspension, which was in a little room inside the library. Lost and found and library are   
great places to find math books. Then they started giving me quizzes to see if I was   
learning anything. I think they actually wanted me to get in fights just to see how much   
math I knew.

OMNICIENT

"No, ma'am. At first it was something to pass the time. But the faculty saw I how good I   
was getting."

"Very well done." She smiles. "And I see in your transcript you've already completed   
your quota of geography and history as well?"

Dan shrugs. "Guess so. Ma'am."

"Well, now, here's a biggie. We're going to be putting you in calculus now. Starting   
tomorrow, you'll be taking senior math classes. And, your sixth period is officially an   
honorary advanced extracurricular class. This way, you can take one this semester, and   
next semester. Continue next year, and by senior year, you'll be able to leave school after   
fifth hour."

"Really?" Dan giggles. "That is so cool!"

It is a big day for Rhett, which also happens during math class. Rhett had a packet that he   
had turned in early on Friday. The teacher says she doesn't have it so, to get her back,   
Rhett leaves for the bathroom only five minutes into classtime. He orders two dozen   
pizzas, placing them said teacher's credit card.

By the time lunch rolls around, it is common knowledge that Rhett has Mrs. Dotson's   
credit card. She overhears this and traces him to the pizzas. Phil is waiting for PJ and Dan   
to go through the lunchline when the Student Resource Officer runs in, chasing after   
Rhett. The other students jump out of the way and provide escape. Phil is just watching   
with a bored expression, until he sees Rhett veer left to purposely knock Dan into PJ and   
another freshman. He walks over and nonchalantly kicks the Cafeteria Overlooker's chair   
into Rhett's path.

A lot of students gasp and Rhett faceplants into the butt of the chair. His legs flail around   
as he loses control and crashes into a mounted table. The SRO grabs him off the chair,   
demanding the credit card. Rhett growls and cuts down Phil. Phil pays him no mind as he   
returns the CO's chair and walks over to join PJ and Dan in line.

"Badass, Phil." PJ claps him on the back. "Stupid, but badass."

Phil shrugs, facial expression still devoid of emotion. "I'm not feeling the shack today."

"Where to?"

"Auditorium."

PJ, Phil and Dan enjoy a nice lunch on the edge of the stage in the vacated auditorium.   
They head to class when the bell rings. Dan is allowed out of class early to choose what   
class he wants to take as extracurricular this semester. There are three slots available:   
choir, shop or school-life. Dan selects school-life and heads to a closet of a classroom   
after fifth.

[Hey, what's your extracurricular? - Dan]

Dan stands by a row of three computers while a man he assumes to be the teacher is busy   
writing something in a little book. Shane walks by, barely giving Dan a second glance,   
and sits at one of the computers. Less than two minutes before the bell rings, Daneboe   
bounces in, immediately turning to Dan. He shoves Dan into the computers, holding a   
grip of his shirt.

"Why're you here, Fresh Meat?"

"Uhhh, I'm a sophomore."

"This class ain't for fancy sophomores neither."

Daneboe raises a fist and Dan instinctively closes his eyes. Nothing happens. When Dan   
opens his eyes, he sees Phil standing there. The older boy isn't smiling, and he isn't   
wearing his usual frown either. It is a full-blown scowl, aimed at Daneboe, the kid whose   
arm he has in a vice grip. Daneboe winces silently, but Phil lets go when the bell sounds   
and the teacher is suddenly alert to the students in the room.

"Alright, gang. Now, first things first. Rhett has been suspended and should be back next   
Monday. We have a sophomore in here in advance prep, Daniel Howell. So, I'm going to   
pass the bowl around. There are three jobs needed today. What you see on your paper is   
what you will do."

The bowl is handed to Daneboe first. He grabs a slip, unfolds it and reads 'Recycling   
Pickup'. He groans, shoving the bowl to Phil. He decisively picks one and unfolds it.   
'Reception Filing.' He lets out an inaudible sigh and completely bypasses Dan in favor of   
waking up Shane. The tired boy grabs the bowl and fishes out one of the remaining slips.   
'Nurse Practitioner.' The bowl is brought back to the front and the teacher looks around.

"Nurse only needs one helper and recycling isn't a two-man job. Daniel, you're going to   
go with Phil to reception. Chop, chop, people."

Dan smiles a bit and follows Phil into the hallway. The boys walk in a comfortable   
silence as Phil leads the younger boy down the stairs and into the main lobby. They stand   
idly in front of the main office when Phil turns to Dan.

"How'd you get this class?"

"Uh, I already took most of my maths." Dan answers, looking at his shoes in   
embarrassment. "So, I'm taking senior math now. Plus I can start up early on these. Next   
year I get free period for fifth."

"I took on two sciences my freshman year and did the third over the summer." Phil nods.   
"I had chemistry my sophomore year. But that's when we had seven classes, not six."

"You have free period fifth?" Dan asks as Phil opens the door.

Phil nods and walks behind the counter just as a medium bell sounds from down the hall.   
He takes the seat away from the PA box, offering it to Dan. He gives Dan a few papers,   
mostly consisting of announcements and menu changes. Phil takes the hulk of the bundle   
and wheels behind him to a large filing cabinet. He speedily puts them all away.

For the other sophomores, as well as the freshmen, this class period is for the additional   
learning classes. The other sophomores are in geography, currently re-establishing the   
fifty capitals in the fifty United States. The class is set up the same, only without Dan.   
The seats are grouped in threes now, with one group of four. Chris, Mars, Ryan and   
Miranda. Marzia, T and Atwood. Joe, Zach and Rafi. Joe returns to Marzia's group in   
classes three and five when Dan rejoins Zach and Rafi.

"Capital of Tennessee, Miss Bigsosin?"

"Uh, Nash, ville?"

"Capital of Florida, Mister Kendall?"

Marzia sighs as the teacher continues, signifying she got it right. Chris's eyes widen and   
he gives a half-hearted smile. "Miami?"

The teacher glares at him a moment before asking Mr. Higa the same question. Ryan   
doesn't know either, saying 'Raleigh.' The teacher does not look at all happy and calls on   
Mister Rance reminding him that he's "got all day".

"Tallassee?"

"I'll allow it." The teacher answers through grit teeth. "The capital of Florida is Talla-  
HASS-ee. Hassee, remember that."

For the freshmen, it is art. The teacher is going over all the basics: primary and secondary   
colors, tints and hues, and the like. There are two groups of four seats and an extra group   
of three. Up close to the teacher are Riley Johnson, Rachel Ballinger, Kyle Higa and   
Blake Morris, Jr. In the back by the window are Joey Graceffa, Zoella Sugg, Ariana   
Grande and Justice Johnson. The last group, on the other side of the room by the cabinets   
is Rachel Levin, PJ Liguori and Lucas Cruikshank.

Sooner rather than later, the final bell rings for the day. Phil hadn't been very talkative   
during the filing time and after; Dan asked if he wanted to come over. Phil had given him   
a one-word statement 'work' and the issue has been dropped. Dan runs out to catch the   
bus while Phil is already halfway home. The next day in class two, Phil sees an extra spot   
taken up. Normally in his calculus class (as well as the other senior classes), there are two   
groups of four and one group (his group) of three.

By the door, there is Daneboe, Ray W. Johnson, Frankie Grande and Remi Gaillard. By   
the window, there is Jenna Marbles, Rhett McLaughlin, Chris Ballinger and Antionette   
Padilla. Finally to the side by the cabinets, Anthony Padilla and Benny Fine sit next to   
one another. Phil sits across from Anothny. Today, there is another desk set in front of   
Benny. And someone familiar and younger is sitting there.

"Dan?" Phil asks in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here? How the hell did you   
get here before me?"

"I cut through the courtyard." Dan shrugs. "I told you about this yesterday in sixth."

Phil recalls the conversation and merely nods. He sits down beside the younger boy but   
focuses more on the work the teacher assigns them. The rest of the week goes like this.   
Phil glares at everyone and doesn't talk during homeroom. He talks a minimum in   
second. The boys eat together at lunch, usually heading outside, and two classes later,   
they have sixth. All but Friday they have the same job. On Friday, Dan gets the solo job   
of scraping gum off the bleachers. Phil is stuck working with Shane, scrubbing the   
bathroom stalls. They work in tense silence.

Saturday is Joey Graceffa's birthday party, since he turns fifteen on Sunday. Mostly   
freshmen and sophomores go, but PJ stays away. Instead, he and Phil meet up at the   
treehouse and play some video games. In PJ's mind, the treehouse is the sanctum   
sanctorum where he and Phil can blow off steam and not worry about anyone else. The   
following Monday, Rhett returns. He gets there early and waits for the buses to come in.   
The first one comes in around eight o'clock, and Rhett immediately corners the last two   
off: Dan and Lucas.

"Leave, Cruikshank."

"I've got just as much right"

"Get outta here." Rhett turns to tower over Lucas.

He successfully intimidates the smaller boy into running away. He glares at Dan, shoving   
him against the school. Dan opens his mouth to say something, but Rhett cuts him off   
with a quick punch at his jaw. Dan squeals in surprise, and Rhett doubles up. Dan tries to   
fight him off, but two others join in: Daneboe and Tyler. They hold him against the wall   
as Rhett whales on him a bit. Dan bites back tears and he is dropped when the first bell   
rings. The other boys run inside while Dan silently cries in a ball.

He misses homeroom and class two. He doesn't want Phil to see him like this. Lucas and   
Phil are really his only friends at this school. Sure, he knows some other people. But they   
are either bullies or just kids he doesn't really know. At the bell for class three, Dan   
walks through the door. He is quieter than usual and just starts working. His teacher gives   
him a glance but says nothing. A few classmates ask questions, but stop when he gives   
them no answers. At lunch, Dan hides away in a bathroom stall and doesn't come out   
until halfway through class five. When he does emerge, he runs right into PJ.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Dan grimaces. He knows PJ is Phil's main connection. Anythin PJ knows directs back to   
Phil. He really doesn't want Phil to know what had happened to him.

"It's nothing. I fell off the bus."

"That's a lot more than falling off a bus."

"That's all I did. Fell into the curb. By the storm drain."

"Uh-huh." He answers in a non-believing tone. "Why aren't you in geology?"

"Bathroom."

"Uh-huh. Sure. I'll see ya."

"Yeah."

PJ walks into the restroom and Dan suddenly has second thoughts. Rather than heading to   
class, he walks to the auditorium. There isn't anyone there aside from some faculty   
members, and he sneaks his way to the back curtain to climb up the ladder to the catwalk.   
He remains there for the remainder of the day and misses the bus. Tuesday and   
Wednesday, he repeats this process. His parents have been busy lately with their jobs, so   
they have been leaving and returning at odd hours. So far, neither has seen Dan's bruises.   
Wednesday night, he receives a surprising text.

[Hey, u going 2 the Muse concert Sat? - Lucas]

[Wouldn't miss it, hafta head out early cos I don't have a ride. - Dan]

[Frankie's giving me a ride. - Lucas]

[Who's all going? - Dan]

[Frankie, Zach, Zoe, Ian, Anthony & me - Lucas]

[He wouldn't mind 1 more? - Dan]

[Nah - Lucas]

[Alright, thx - Dan]

[No prob - Lucas]


	6. Field Day and Practice

Come Thursday, most of the bruising has gone down. He misses homeroom and class two again. He goes to class three and eats lunch in the library. He goes to class five and finally goes to class six. The bell rings and Phil isn’t there. To make matters worse, the teacher decides to sentence Dan and Daneboe to work together cleaning the chemistry equipment. All through the class period, Daneboe glares at dan and makes nonverbal threats. Dan is scared for his life and dashes out of the building just as the final bell rings.

 

The next day, there are no classes. Everyone is outside. It is Field Day. After the main bell rings, everyone is free to do whatever amongst themselves as long as they stay on the grounds. He overhears Shane arguing with Ian and Dashie about the Muse concert.

 

“You guys don’t get it!” Dan had never heard Shane express something so powerfully. “The whole damn family is going but they won’t let me!”

 

“Dude, Sasha is going.” Dashie laughs. “Your seven-year-old cousin can go to the concert but not you? That’s pathetic.”

 

“I told them that, dammit. But Mom’s all ‘have you seen your grades?’ Like it’s my fault I’m failing. I’ve got shit for brains. And Dad’s like ‘maybe next time.’ I’m not going, guys. Like there’ll even be a next time.”

 

Dan shakes his head, glad his parents aren’t like Shane’s. They’re letting him go with Frankie and Lucas (and the others he didn’t tell them about). He bypasses them and goes into the cafeteria. There, he sees a few people playing card games. He also notices Chris and Lucas with a large group of people, playing a game of truth or dare. Dan stands off to the side, listening in as the bottle spins around the group. It lands on Chris.

 

“Truth or dare?” Jeana smirks.

 

“Dare.”

 

“Okay…… moonwalk across the table.”

 

Chris stares back at her, but jumps up and does the deed – nearly tripping over his own feet and toppling off the table. Dan shakes his head and heads out. There are students zipping one way or another. Even the library is set up. He bumps into PJ, who is chewing a piece of pizza, as the other runs into the library and jumps onto a beanbag chair between Felix and Ryan. The latter two are playing a racing game of some sort on a huge television someone had brought in there.

 

While tempting, Dan really wants to find Phil. He heads for the stairwell connected to the courtyard and smells smoke. Not a fiery smoke, but a drug-induced one. He holds his breath to bare it so he can manage his way to the yard. Even doing so, he manages to take a look around at who is smokingthe stuff. He shouldn’t be surprised to find Rhett, Tyler, Daneboe, Jenna, Link and Remi. They seem much too stoned to even notice his existence. Dan shakes his head and runs outside, gasping for breath.

 

He finds Frankie on the track field, dancing to some karaoke music. Ariana is singing and Frankie has drawn a crowd to come dance with him. It is pretty good, but it isn’t Muse. It’s more cheerful and upbeat than the songs he usually listens to. Dan sighs, coming to a close of the school grounds. He turns toward the bus loading zone and finds one teacher putting out a fire and another arguing with Zach. Dan freezes, eyes wide, until his meet Zach’s. The boy in the pink hat raises an accusatory finger and Dan shakes his head.

 

“Nope. Didn’t see anything.”

 

Dan runs past him and the teachers, nearly coming up to the front of the school. He stops short when he hears a few lines of a familiar song.

 

‘If you promised not to fade away

 

Never fade away

 

Our hopes and expectations

 

Black holes and revelations’

 

Dan instantaneously starts searching for the source of the music. Every time he moves it seems farther away, until he looks up. Someone is playing the music from the roof. It isn’t too loud, but dan can hear it. He runs inside and takes an alternate staircase to the second floor, and then searches wildly for the stairs that lead to the roof. Eventually, after trying to budge several locked doors, he spots one partially ajar. He creeps up the dimly lit steps and edges toward the rooftop door. The song is louder, and he can hear a sultry voice singing along quietly.

 

‘Hold you in my arms

 

I just wanted to hold

 

You in my arms

 

I just wanted to hold.’

 

Dan starts clapping in awe. The person who had been singing swivels around and shuts off the music. It is Phil. And his eyes are blazing. He is angry and Dan wants nothing more than to backpedal. Phil gains on him too quickly. He slams the door shut behind Dan and pushes the younger boy against it.

 

“Why the fuck are you here? Stalking me or something?”

 

“N-N! No!” Dan mentally slaps himself for stuttering. “I just heard Starlight and then I seen youwere sining along and”

 

“What?” Phil voice takes on a more menacing tone, with the icy bite he had the first day of homeroom. “Think about your words very carefully, Howell.”

 

“You, you sing well.”

 

“Huh?” Phil blinks back in shock, some of the anger seeping away.

 

“Yeah. I like that song, and you do it justice.”

 

“Right.”

 

Phil’s eyes are still narrowed and his voice is still on the dangerous side, but most of his anger is gone. Dan lets out a sigh of relief as Phil backs off. The older boy walks over to a little bench on the edge of the school and takes a seat. Dan tentatively walks over.

 

“Sounded like you were singing about someone. Your girlfriend?”

 

Phil glares at him incredulously. “My father.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“He’s away.” Phil responds flatly, signaling the end of the conversation.

 

“Oh. You, uh, you going to the Muse concert tomroow?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Phil doesn’t talk anymore until the lunch bell rings – but then he only tells Dan to bring PJ up when the younger asks if he’s coming with. Dan obliges. PJ heads up without any food, asking dan if he’d feel more comfortable downstairs. Dan states he’d rather stay up on the roof until he meets Phil’s gaze – becoming icier at each passing second. The moment PJ announces Dan is back out of distance, Phil breaks down. He curls up against PJ’s chest and cries.

 

Field Day is over pretty quick. Once the final bell rings, PJ and Phil are down on the second floor and the stairwell access door is locked again. Phil and PJ have copied keys. As they leave the second landing a sharp voice calls from behind them.

 

“Mr. Lester!” A physically fit tall man with broad shoulders approaches the boys. “Where the hell have you been?”

 

“You’re not my teacher anymore, I don’t have to tell you anything.” He replies through grit teeth.

 

“You are still a student of the school and I am still a teacher, so you will”

 

“You’re not anything, Dick.” Phil interrupts, using his teacher’s ‘first’ name. “And neither am i. School is out.”

 

“Then why are you still here?”

 

“Bathroom, as if it is any of your concern.”

 

“Watch it, Lester.”

 

The teacher barrels past the boys, heading downstairs with a grimace. PJ shudders at the intensity and Phil just lets out a low, gutteral growl. He hates that man. Mr. Richard Elles. Phil had him for tenth grade vocabulary. Because of Phil’s accent, he couldn’t always say things as clearly as Mr. Elles had anticipated. Phil had been the only sophomore at the time with a foreign accent. Throughout many ups and downs of the class, a tension had grown between teacher and student – until Phil had been giving a presentation in front of the class. Mr. Elles had criticized him before he had been halfway through, and Phil yelled a few obsenities and threw a blackboard eraser at him before storming out of the classroom. Things are still tense.

 

PJ grips Phil’s arm lightly, helping his best friend calm down. When Phil’s heartbeat slows a bit, he and PJ share a knowing look and start down the stairs. They are the last students to leave the school, aside from Zach (who is still getting reprimanded), Rhett, Link and Tyler (who are being questioned about possession), and Frankie (who appears to be cleaning out his car in the parking lot).

 

Saturday night, Phil sneaks out of his bedroom window and waits at the treehouse for PJ. His friend shows up in no time and they walk out toward the busy, dirty side of town. They notice Frankie’s car as they near the tattoo shop. Frankie is at the house by the park, picking up dan and Lucas. Phil notices without much care that the van already has several people inside. Phil keeps walking past the shop and to the back lot of the trashy bar. There, he finds a black motorcycle with a graffiti flaming lion painted on the side. Phil grabs two helmets from beneath the back steps and hops on the bike. PJ gets on the back, wrapping his arms around Phil’s waist as the boys peel out.

 

The concert arena is packed. Phil and PJ have their VIP tags around their necks and their tickets in their hands. They park off in the distance. During the walk, they hurriedly apply (fake in PJ’s case) eyebrow and lip piercings to each other’s faces. They also apply each other’s shadowy eye makeup and spray tints in their hair – crimson red for PJ and pastel blue for Phil. They cut ahead, ignoring the shouts, showing the passes to the bouncers up front. They are verified and the duo is allowed inside before the great many of people.

 

Frankie has just arrived. Zach is pumped. Ian and Anthony are hanging off one another, and Zoe is dressed for the part. Lucas is excited like a kid in a candy store. Dan is also excited but is attempting to play it cool as the seven of them join the line. There is still about a hundred people ahead of them in the line when they can hear the opening song: ‘Uprising.’

 

Phil and PJ are backstage, mouthing the lyrics to the song with a couple of microphones that had their batteries taken out. Phil looks brooding and passionate as he lip-synchs, while PJ looks like a hardcore rocker. They don’t miss a beat or skip over a word, and are just as exhausted as the band when the song is over. The band steps behind the curtain for some water before having to go right back out for another song. This time, it is ‘Knights of Cydonia’.

 

There are still a good twenty people ahead of the septuplet in line. Zoe and Dan are the most upset, one almost bawling and the other biting his tongue to not join in on all the shouts from behind. Ian and Anthony don’t seem to mind, and Dan starts wondering if the two might be dating. Zach is swaying now and Frankie holds onto his arm, leaning on him. Lucas is jumping up and down as the latest song hits the chorus.

 

The band follows routine. They get another quick break with refreshing water before returning to the stage for their last performance of the first half. This time it is ‘Supermassive Black Hole.’ PJ is giddy about it, being his favorite song. He jams out silently behind the curtain. Phil is zealous just from being backstage. He paces around as he lip-synchs. Outside, Frankie and co. have finally made it to the front.

 

‘And the superstars sucked into the super massive

 

Super massive black hole

 

Super massive black hole

 

Super massive black hole

 

Glaciers melting in the dead of night’

 

Dan excitedly runs to the nearest space he can find, Zoe on his tail. Frankie and Zach find an energetic place, and Ian and Anthony hang back to find a seat. Lucas sighs and decides to find a bathroom since the song is almost over. When it does, there are special guest stars: One Direction has come for the intermission. Dan is just as happy to see them and instantly begins singing along to ‘What Makes You Beautiful.’ The members of Muse head to the restoom, their dressing rooms and the like. Dominic sticks around to talk with the two teens.

 

“You two seem like really big fans.”

 

“Oh, we are.” PJ smiles excitedly.

 

Phil offers up a small smile. “Yeah, you guys are amazing.”

 

“You two wanna sing on stage with us for our last song? It’ll be a while.”

 

“You want us?” PJ gasps. “But you’ve never even heard us sing!”

 

Dominic shrugs. “You can go practice for our producer if you want. We’ve still got ‘Dead Inside’, ‘Panic Station’ and ‘Map of the Problematique’. Then One Direction will come up again. Sing ‘Drag Me Down’. Then we come back for our big finale. And you mates too, if you want.”

 

“What song is it?” PJ asks excitedly.

 

“Starlight.”

 

Phil’s eyes actually light up at the mention of the singular word. A genuine smile appears on his face with a nod to Dominic. The band member chuckles and calls for the others, as they are about to go on. Phil lightly shoves PJ as they walk past.

 

“Better go practice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me on this despite the long wait!


	7. Muse and Monday Fights

The next two songs are a blur. Phil is having second thoughts about singing in front of a live audience, and his mind drifts to yesterday when he caught Dan on the roof. Phil had just been singing the same song yesterday, but that was when he was alone. PJ is psyched, bouncing around in his leather pants that match Phil’s. PJ has on a ‘Black Holes and Revelations’ album cover T-shirt that shows off a temporary tattoo of a rock n roll dinosaur on his arm. Phil is wearing a constellation tank, showing off his actual tattoo of a flaming lion very similar to the one on his bike, and broad cuff bracelets.

 

At the end of ‘Map of the Problematique’, Dan’s voice is sore. He looks around but sees he’s been separated from everyone. He can spot Zoe a few rows ahead and Lucas is sitting down. The others have disappeared, and Dan is worried they might have left early. He frowns but ultimately decides he can walk the long way back if necessary. The band members retreat behind the curtain as Phil and PJ are being fitted for their wires and microphones. One Direction takes the stage again.

 

‘Drag Me Down’ is over soon and the opening lines of ‘Starlight’ start up quickly. Dominic takes a bit of time during the beginning music before they start to sing. He tells the audience that they’ve got one more song and their VIP guests will be on stage with them. Dominic shouts that they love their fans and the music starts up louder now. He returns to his drums as Matt and Chris take his place up front, on their guitars.

 

‘Far away

 

The ship is taking me far away

 

Far away from the memories

 

Of the people who care if I live or die’

 

Two more lines in and PJ is on stage. He isn’t singing too loud, not wanting to upstage the ‘true performers’. He is off to the side in the back, close to Dominic. The cheers he is getting with singing along is encouraging. He spies several people from their school in the audience. He looks back toward Phil, who is still in the wings. As soon as a particular line breaks through, Phil takes in all the passion and begins to sing from the heart. It takes him to the middle of the stage, but Matt and Chris step back a bit to give Phil the front. Of course, Phil doesn’t know – he hasn’t opened his eyes.

 

‘Let’s conspire to ignite

 

All the souls that would die just to feel alive

 

Now I’ll never let you go

 

If you promised not to fade away

 

Never fade away’

 

Phil goes back in time, as he sings, to when he was very young. He was four-years-old, and his daddy was home all weekend. His daddy helped Phil and Frankie build a treehouse as a reward for his son being accepted into kindergarten early. Frankie is still in preschool but is Phil’s best friend. The three of them have a fun time. Years flash and Phil is now nine. His dad has taken a vacation from work, so he can take his family somewhere special. He takes them to a campsite he used to frequent as a boy. The three of them – especially Phil and his dad – have an amazing time just swimming, climbing trees and hiking.

 

‘I just wanted to hold

 

You in my arms

 

I just wanted to hold.’

 

Phil is silently crying from the painful memories when the song ends. Cheers erupt, and Phil calmly walks backstage. PJ happily pumps his fist up before running after his friend. He finds Phil curled in a ball on the floor by the dressing rooms and PJ sits down beside him. He wraps a consoling arm around Phil’s shoulders, letting his friend lean in. The crowds are leaving outside, and the Muse members are packing up. Dominic walks over a little concerned with his fan’s shaking.

 

“Hey, mate, you okay?”

 

“M’fine.” Phil almost whispers.

 

Matt walks past them, looking down a moment. It causes him to return and ask a prodding question. “You two, together?”

 

PJ blushes and shakes his head. Phil cracks a small smile. “Peej has been my best friend for over a decade now.”

 

Matt and Dominic smile knowingly. They thank the boys for coming out to the concert and give them free autographed T-shirts from the concert. As Muse packs up to sign some autographs in the abandoned Band Members Only parking lot, PJ helps Phil to his feet and they walk out to the bike. Meanwhile, Dan and Zoe are running out with one crowd to get autographs. Frankie is helping a very sleepy Zach to the car. Ian and Anthony have texted Frankie that they will be taking a cab home. PJ and Phil find Lucas, puking in the parking lot.

 

“Peej, get him home.”

 

“What?” PJ looks to his friend like he’s grown a second head. “Phil, but you”

 

Phil gives PJ enough money for a cab ride to Lucas’s house and his (PJ’s). PJ stares at Phil once more but gives a resigned sigh. He nods and collects Lucas to take him home. Phil slumps against a tree, clutching his helmet, as he watches the crowds disperse. He wants to wait until most people are gone before trying out on the roads. The concert had lasted from seven to eleven, and it is a little past midnight when he receives an unexpected text.

 

[Hey, where’d u guys go? I have no ride – Dan]

 

He doesn’t realize he had sent it to Phil, only noticing he’s sent it to Frankie, Lucas, Zoe and Anthony. He waits for a reply, but doesn’t wait too long.

 

[Had 2 get Zach home; Ian & Anthony took a cab. Sorry Dan – Frankie]

 

[I’m taking Lucas home – Lucas]

 

[Sorry Dan I thought I was abandoned, already halfway home. – Zoe]

 

[Where r u? – Phil]

 

[Sry Phil, didn’t mean to msg u. – Dan]

 

[U did anyway. Where r u? – Phil]

 

[Muse concert. Could u swing by or is it 2 far? – Dan]

 

[Not 2 far. What side of the arena bldg? – Phil]

 

[Thx J I’m by the BMO lot. By the blue tent. – Dan]

 

[How long will u b? – Dan]

 

[Not long – Phil]

 

Less than five minutes later, Phil is circling on his bike. Not many people are left at the event and even the band is on its bus. The bike pulls up to the tent and Phil immediately spots Dan, pacing nervously. He stares at the younger boy for a moment, watching as he grazes over the older a few times. Finally, Phil shakes his head and pulls off his helmet. While his face shows bright green eyes (due to colored contacts) and multiple piercings – as well as a temporary tattoo along his throat and black eye makeup – his fringe tells all. Dan leaps up in surprise.

 

“Phil? That you?”

 

“No, I’m the Queen.” He rolls his eyes. “Hop on.”

 

“Where’d you get a bike?”

 

“A place. Hop on, hold my waist. No more questions or I’ll leave you here.”

 

Dan’s mouth shuts. He grabs the helmet PJ left behind and struggles to climb on. Phil grabs a belt loop and helps pull Dan on. The younger tentatively places his hands on Phil’s hips, but the older yanks Dan’s arms to wrap around his waist tightly. This brings them closer together and Dan blushes feverishly.

 

The ride is nice, wind blowing in their faces. Dan instantly decides he wants to do this again. He briefly wonders if Phil had gotten the tattoo for any reason. He also wonders where Phil had been – He remembers seeing Phil earlier. At the concert. On stage. He had come out to sing ‘Starlight’ with the band. He was beautiful. Dan’s blush is back but, unfortunately, Phil is pulling the bike off to the side. He takes off his helmet as the bike slides into park, against the side of a crusty building.

 

“What is this place?” Dan asks nervously.

 

Phil raises an eyebrow. “It’s a bar. Don’t you get out?”

 

Dan shakes his head. “Not to a bar.”

 

Phil shoves Dan’s hands away, careful not to push the younger to the ground. He hops off and stashes his helmet under the steps again. Dan cautiously falls off and walks over. Phil takes the helmet off Dan and stashes it. He then climbs a fence that leads to an alley.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“I thought we were going to a bar.” Dan cocks his head to the side.

 

“That’s just where I leave the bike. Climb the fence before Hank catches you.”

 

Dan climbs halfway. Phil is still at the top, watching down. Dan is about to ask who Hank is, when a back door opens for trash. An older man’s gaze runs across the two boys and he shouts at them. He races back inside and Phil grabs Dan with both hands. He rips Dan’s shirt in the process of pulling them both over the fence, hitting hard against the concrete on the other side. Nevertheless, Phil scrambles to his feet and drags Dan along with him. They run out of the alley just as the first shots ring out. They keep running to an abandoned-looking house. Phil opens the window, pushes Dan in and jumps in himself.

 

“What was that all about?”

 

“Hank works there. But he’s also in some shady shit. Best not to cross him or look like you’re crossing him.”

 

“Like we did climbing the fence?”

 

“Yep.” Phil sighs. “You should get home.”

 

“Home?”

 

“That building next door?” Phil raises an eyebrow. “I gotta sneak back in ‘for Mama sees I’m gone.”

 

Phil hops back out of the window and walks away. Dan collapses on the floor, thinking about everything that’s happened. By the time Phil arrives home, he is nearly successful into sneaking back in. Regrettably, the man who lives in their back shed to help afford the rent – Derrick – notices him. In order for Derrick not to rat out to Phil’s mom, the senior follows the older man into the shack.

 

Monday morning, before the warning bell, there is an argument brewing in the central core of the cafeteria. Zach is angry at his vocabulary teacher for giving him a failing grade on a hard-worked assignment. Someone else in the class had gotten a B and had gotten the same answers. The teacher has it out for him for being a jock and wearing his hot pink baseball cap everywhere.

 

“No, no-no. Kendall got the same damn answers as me and so did T. They got better grades cos you got problems!”

 

“Mr. Rance,” Mr. Elles raises his voice a tad. “What Mr. Kendall and Mr. Pindell do on their own times is their problem. As is yours.”

 

“Quit buggin’ and jus’ fix my grade! I d’serve it higher like theirs!”

 

“Or they deserve it lower like yours.”

 

“Dude, now I see why your mama named you Dick!”

 

“Rephrase that, Mr. Rance.” Mr. Elles snaps, lightly pushing Zach away from his personal bubble.

 

“Alright. Yo’ mama knew you were gonna be a freak when she named you Dick!” He gets louder, shoving the teacher back.

 

This draws a crowd. Dan, Lucas and Zoe come in from the lockers. Chris runs in, using this as a distraction from getting creamed by Rhett, Tyler, Daneboe and Link. Jenna, Marzia and Jeana follow. Joey and Felix leave the scene with a very few others who are not anticipating a fight. Shane and Frankie stay at their table, watching the scene unfold. The teacher throws his tie on the ground, getting red in the face. Zach pumps his fist in the air, but the teacher gives the first hit. Zach punches back and all words are slurred as the two keep throwing hooks. PJ and Phil round the corner about a minute later, upon hearing the commotion across school.

 

Phil’s eyes scan the crowd, glaring at whoever is fighting. He sees Rhett in the center, along with Zach. They aren’t fighting each other. Phil’s eyes search for who would have those two teaming up. He barely registers PJ’s hand on his arm before he barrels through the crowd like an angry torpedo. He launches himself at the teacher, letting out his aggression. Dan is terrified to see this side of Phil, especially after the other night/early morning. Dan’s locker buddy Chris joins the fight not a minute later – though there isn’t much aggression in his stance. It looks like he just wanted to join in.

 

He then notices PJ. PJ tosses Chris into the crowd and utilizes the Vulcan nerve pinch on Rhett and Richard Elles. He simply glares at Zach, who looks like he is about to hit the intruder. Instead, Frankie comes up and walks Zach away. PJ helps Phil to his feet and leads him away just as another two teachers and the SRO show up. Dan is flabbergasted. The teachers ask around, but no one says anything. Quick as a wink, there is a rumor being spread that Mr. Elles beat up Rhett McLaughlin.

 

Dan doesn’t see Phil again until lunch. They eat with PJ and Chris. Chris gets all dramatic, saying he is ‘indebted to PJ for the rest of his high school life’. Phil is not in a good mood but seems to do better as a crowd of people – at least with PJ around. PJ is always there to help, Dan notices, but the younger kid would probably kill him if he hurt Phil in any way. Dan gulps. Nothing more happens on Tuesday or Wednesday. After school on Thursday starts the horror movie project the college students have been going on and on about. They have a rough mock-up of the first part of the movie.

 

Zach Rance, Lucas Cruikshank, Chris Kendall, Ariana Grande, Frankie Grande, Joey Graceffa, Shane Dawson, Marzia Bignosin, Rhett McLaughlin, Link Neal, Felix Kjellberg, Rachel Levin, PJ Liguori, Dan Howell, and Phil Lester meet up at an open field a bit away from the local college campus. There is camera equipment set up and everyone is given a character card. Dan, Phil and PJ stick in a cluster together. Frankie sticks by Zach, Rhett sticks with Link, and Joey stays with Felix. Lucas, Chris, Ariana, Shane, Marzia and Rachel are left standing around awkwardly.


End file.
